Originally, the scientists studying the sea turtle thought the straw lodged in its nose was a parasitic worm, but as they tried to extract it, it soon became clear that it was actually a piece of trash, according to a description on the YouTube video.

"The turtle very likely ate the straw and regurgitated the straw where it ended up in the wrong passageway," the YouTube description says.

"The nasal cavity of sea turtles is connected directly to the palate (roof of the mouth) by a long nasopharyngeal duct."

Although the actual removal of the straw seemed somewhat traumatic, the sea turtle reportedly bounced back quickly after the procedure.

A sea turtle getting a straw removed from its nostril.

Image: Storyful/Christine Figgener

"He did very obviously not enjoy the procedure very much, but we hope that he is now able to breath more freely," the description says.

"We disinfected the air passageway with iodine and kept the turtle for observation before releasing him back into the wild. The bleeding stopped pretty much immediately after the removal of the straw."

Christine Figgener, one of the researchers reportedly on the boat, has now launched a crowdfunding campaign allowing people to donate in support of her research into the mating habits of sea turtles in Costa Rica and the Caribbean. This work will also aid in the conservation of sea turtle populations, Figgener said.

The campaign on GoFundMe has been active for less than 24 hours, and it has raised more than $1,000 of the $200,000 being asked for.

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